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Subscribe to RSSOfficials at the University of Virginia on Wednesday weren't thrilled with Playboy’s dubious distinction listing the nation’s oldest public university as the No. 1 party school in America.
“We are demanding a recount,” UVA spokeswoman Marian Anderfuren told NBC News.
“It’s far more important for the university to be known for our academic achievements in teaching and research,” said Carol Wood, another UVA spokeswoman, in a statement to NBC News.
Playboy ranked the Charlottesville, Va., university -- founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 -- as the top party school, beating 100 other colleges nationwide, according to Playboy’s 2012 Top Party Schools list. The rankings are featured in the October college issue.
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"Raise a glass to UVA, whose students know a thing or two about raising glasses and everything important to this list," said Playboy on its website. “The Cavaliers placed an uninspiring 16th in sports but more than made up for it in nightlife and sex, finishing number three and number two, respectively. According to our math, two plus three equals one.”
The rankings were based on 900 data points across three categories: sex, sports and nightlife, according to Playboy officials.
Playboy’s full top 10 list:
- University of Virginia
- University of Southern California
- University of Florida
- University of Texas
- University of Wisconsin
- University of Georgia
- Vanderbilt
- Tulane
- Texas Christian
- Ohio State
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As with another post, I have to ask, did Playboy mix up their Virginia schools? I graduated from UVA two years ago, and unless it's turned into Las Vegas II in that time period, there's nothing of the sort in "sex" or "nightlife."
You want that in Charlottesville, you get into a friend's car and drive to Richmond (and hope you're not shot/mugged while there, which incidentally happens in Downtown Charlottesville anyways).
Charlottesville is a great place to raise a family in, and learn in. It's hardly a party school or city. You'd be hard-pressed indeed to find a "wild" party. There are of course a lot of frat parties, but they're hardly abnormal (since I studied at Virginia Tech as well).
Playboy has most likely mixed up the wrong Virginia school, perhaps thinking our less prestigious cousins in West Virginia. That, or they've reverted to a 1950's idea of debauchery.
Doopington, you must have been a wallflower who never left your dorm. That school has had a nortorious partying reputation for centuries, yes, centuries (Edgar Allan Poe for example). You should try to get out more.
We have embassyes burning and a economic recession and this is the top news headline? Pathetic.
Party Time!!!!! The governments going to cover it.
Phil, chill, this is much more entertaining news. Besides what can you do about burning embassies? No more and no less than Obama can. Relax.
It's a sad commentary when the University of Virginia is labeled the gateway to Sodom & Gonorrhea!
After going to school at a few different colleges, I am shocked that Ole Miss didn't make top ten. Definitely top ten for hottest coeds and BEST tailgating for football!
"....far more important for the university to be known for our academic achievements in teaching..."
obviously the university is in denial!
I don't know, plenty of "Bucks to get Bombed", but none to pay tuition. Oh that's right, 'bamas gon' pay.
UVA may think they are the oldest public university in the U.S. but sadly they are not. That distinction goes to the College of William and Mary. UVA was founded by Thomas Jefferson who attended W&M. Who ever gave the false information must of been hung over or still drunk.
From Wikipedia:
University of Georgia, chartered in 1785, first students in 1801.
University of North Carolina (at Chapel Hill), chartered in 1789, first students in 1795.
College of William and Mary, chartered in 1693 but was royal charter, accepted public money first in 1906.
So from that data W&M is out of the running. UGA chartered first, UNC had students first, take your pick.
Calm Down Everyone torched your ass Rutgers
I think they confused it with WEST Virginia.
I think your fact checker has been hanging out at too many of those epic UVA parties. UVA is nowhere near the oldest public college. The University of Georgia is the oldest (1785 vs. 1819).
Having taken my bachelor's at the University of Virginia, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to the Admissions Office at UVa. They have the difficult task of choosing among the brightest students in the world for the first year class and now they will be burdened with the applications of thousands of droolers who don't stand a chance.
Don't waste your time if you had to cheat through high school, you won't last a week at Virginia. Our single sanction honor system will cull you out fast. Everyone of us enters UVa knowing we are expected to do our own work and cheaters want be tolerated. The Honor System at UVa is less forgiving than the one's in the military academies. One time and you have twenty four hours to leave the University.
If you have to drink or use drugs to get through a week in high school, you will not survive a week in Charlottesville. If you have to party hard and your family has money, try one of the Ivies. If you have to party and your family doesn't have money, try rehab. If you can't make the grade without cheating, try one of the on-line schools. The only real party at the University of Virginia begins when you leave with your degree and begin life of distinction. Class of 1975
Easy Dean Wormer...
I think this a very serious atrocity, that we as a society place such great importance on who can party the hardest and coming from a man who, along with his entourage, quite frankly, runs a whore house. How commendable.
I think you're misusing the word "atrocity". I'd save that for a crime against humanity or something.
A smut publisher doing a quasi-scientific study on sex and partying is hardly out of line or outside expectations.
SF--I agree. And it's not like this 'study' is anything new--when I was at the U of Missouri in the early 70's, Playboy's "ANNUAL" publishing of this prefaced it by saying they had 'retired' the U of Notre Dame and the U of MO from consideration because they so outpaced the other schools for years as to be unfair competition.
We all thought it was humorous.
Does it really matter who got 1st place, after all the Koch brothers own every college on that list, so at least if they are hung over not as much of their twisted pollitical crap will be able to get in the students heads.
Nice to know that while American college students are cracking hard on their education in gay studies and global warming they need to take a break and have some fun....
At least now I know why Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had to go to Washington before congress and tell why they need to hire tech personnel from China and India and not America.....
Let's see...the Chinese and Indians work for a lot less?
Not to worry, Cal Tech, MIT, Rice, Georgia Tech are still cranking out nerds with the best of them and will never be seen on this list.
UF should have been #1. we were obviously cheated. but none the less, credit where credit is due, get down UVA.
Go Hoooooooooooossssssss!
Originally being from Virginia this has been a well known fact within the state for decades. It's also a well known that the partying environment is a reason for UVa rarely fielding successful sports teams. Many reknown student athletes have enrolled at Virginia only to immediately enter a fall from greatness. Then later, most of the time the reason has been found by the public to be the athlete's dissolution due to too much partying. Centuries ago Edgar Allan Poe was a notorious drinker/partier at UVa and without doubt this contributed to his early demise.
Really? USC lost out to UVA?
That's the worst; not only can we not claim to take education seriously by coming second on the list, but the state that has both Los Angelos and San Francisco lost out to freaking Virginia.
Glad I went to University of San Fran. I'd be insulted if my school ended up at the top of any list sponsored by Playboy!
playboy is not relevant as it was back in the 1960's
Cracking the top ten "party schools" a useless addition to your resume.
Wait! Get the facts straight. University of Virginia is "nation's oldest public university . . . founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 . . ." The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was founded 12/11/1789. GO HEELS!!
All of those schools are great Universities and I'd be happy to go to any of them!(I went to UGA in '78)
For the record, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the oldest public university in the U.S.
From Wikipedia:
University of Georgia, chartered in 1785, first students in 1801.
University of North Carolina (at Chapel Hill), chartered in 1789, first students in 1795.
College of William and Mary, chartered in 1693 but was royal charter, accepted public money first in 1906.
So from that data W&M is out of the running. UGA chartered first, UNC had students first, take your pick.
Hey Mark, as a UGA Alum, you should know that the charter for UGA is older than UNC. UNC's was in 1789, and UGA was 1784...5 years earlier. UNC did start classes first, and graduated their first class in 1798 while UGA's first commencement was in 1804. I guess it is semantics, but it'd be nice if the reporters got it right. GO DAWGS! :)
Where is the fact checker? UVA is no the oldest public university. All the rest is subjective, but if they can't get the facts right, what's the point?
If Universities really care about being thought of as academic, then why are millions poured into sports every year. We have teachers making $30,000 a year and less but the almighty football coach make millions. And parents can pitch in by choosing schools that actually care about education, not just talk a good game. Colorado University in Boulder is nothing more than a rich-kid party haven that seems to make the news monthly for drunken parties, starting fires, and turning over cars. Why any parent would spend their money to send a child there is beyond me. Even at the college level, I think it still starts at home.
What ever happened to Ohio University? Playboy used to have them in a category of their own because they felt it unfair to compare them with other schools.